By Abdul Masih —
A street preacher got punched in the throat, crackling cartilage, outside a West Hollywood lesbian bar on Aug. 16 around 2:00 a.m.
David Ramirez had just preached “Receive Jesus as your Savior; I want you to enter the Kingdom of God,” when he was assaulted. He received several blows, but the punch directly to the throat inflicted damage. He apparently lost his voice, and a doctor advised him to avoid street preaching for six weeks.
In video footage of the assault, bar patrons walking on the “Rainbow Walk” tell David and his supporters “F— you!” multiple times. West Hollywood is a mecca for LGBTQ life and a favorite club spot for hip Los Angeles residents.
“We felt like the Lord wanted us to go and preach in front of clubs that Friday night,” says David Hoffman of Kingdom Enterprises, the Arizona based oureach group. “In our experience, we’ve done a lot of club ministry and had a lot of success just seeing people encounter the love of God, even experience conviction. So we went to West Hollywood, not knowing what the area was going to be like.”
Kingdom Enterprises had just spent six weeks evangelizing in NYC before coming out west. On the day of the assault, they had already been ministering all day at the Santa Monica pier, a popular tourist destination, Hoffman says.
The attack transpired when Ramirez responded affirmatively to a woman’s request for a hug.
“I gave her a hug not to condone the action of what what they’re doing, but I gave her a hug to let her know that we’re not homophobic,” Ramirez says. “You know I gave her a hug to let her know that um we do love you. We do love your soul.”
Then he was ambushed.
It is not known if the L.A. Sheriffs, who has jurisdictional enforcement in West Hollywood, have made any arrests, although the video of the incident shows they were on scene quickly after it happened. The camera does not show the attackers.
West Hollywood became a refuge for gay bathhouses in the 1980s when the Los Angeles Police Department was raiding and closing them in its jurisdiction. Because West Hollywood was originally an unincorporated area, it was under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff’s Department. The Sheriff was ambivalent about LGBTQ activities and didn’t crack down on them.
In 1984, West Hollywood incorporated as its own city with a high LGBTQ population and LGBTQ mayor and city council to legislate their wishes. They celebrate Harvey Milk Day (May 22), Lesbian and Queer Women Visibility Week (around Lesbian Visibility Day, April 26), International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31), National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), LGBTQ+ History Month (October), Spirit Day (October), Transgender Awareness Month/Week (November) and Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20).
The city sponsors a Drag Laureate contest (something like a beauty contest). The winner acts as an ambassador for the city and promotes drag culture. The current laureate, Odious Ari, receives a $15,000 annual honorarium, with up to another $5,000 annually for travel.
West Hollywood has Permanent Pride infrastructure, like its distinctive rainbow crosswalks, and a gender-neutral bathroom mandate. It has social services directly oriented for LGBTQ.
Ramirez can talk (though he should not preach) under treatment from a doctor. He may need surgery, Hoffman said.
Sources: CBN, Christian Post, others.
